Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Submitted by: Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian - January 18, 2025 - Joint Meeting
Program Title: Roger Shew, UNCW Professor, "Hidden Treasures and Uniqueness of Brunswick County”
Date/Time/Location: January 3, 2025, 10:00 a.m. @ St. James Community Center
Note: This was a combined program with all chapters.
SUMMARY:
Julie Wilkinson opened the meeting. All three chapters are full as of this meeting.
Speaker: Roger Shew, Lecturer on Geology and Environmental Science, UNCW
Professor Shew introduced his documentary, “Shew’s Natural Treasures”, by stating that there are many natural
treasures within, and within an hour’s drive, of St. James.
Documentary points:
Bodies of water:
Lake Waccamaw is NC’s largest lake.
The Black River is home to the oldest trees (Bald Cypress) in NC. It flows into the Cape Fear River.
In the Three Sisters Swamp there is a tree called BLK227. One tree, named BLK227, which dates
back beyond the year 600 B.C., makes it the fifth oldest tree in the world as of 2024.
The Cape Fear River is the main drinking water source for Brunswick County.
Cape Fear threats: sea level rising and chemical threats (PFAs)
“Carolina Bays” are a misnomer. They are actually lakes, many of which are protected. The were
called “bays” not for the type of body of water the were, but rather for the bay trees that surrounded
them.
Naturally-produced tannic acid is what darkens many of NC’s bodies of water.
Salt Marshes occur where fresh water and the ocean meet (estuaries).
Threat: Rising sea levels are outpacing the salt marshes ability to rise above.
Manmade oyster reefs are being built. They are great at filtering toxins out of the water.
Located along the Brunswick and Cape Fear Rivers is the town of Navassa, which has a rich cultural
heritage supported by strong roots in the Gullah-Geechee culture, a group of African Americans along
the southeast coast of the United States from Jacksonville, FL to Jacksonville, NC.
Trees:
32 species of longleaf pines exist in NC. From the 1700s to the 1870s, slaves worked the trees to
produce the resin, which was extremely important to the British Navy (“the Naval stores”). What
affects longleaf pines: fire; urbanization. Prescribed burns help keep longleaf pine communities
healthy and prevent wildfires. The pines wouldn’t exist without restorative fire, which burns away
competitive growth such as shrubs so native plants and grasses can germinate seeds. Fires are naturally
caused by lightning bolts. Native Americans used fire to drive prey.
The Green Swamp has four pine varieties.
Carnivorous plants:
36 types in NC
Venus fly traps, sundew, pitcher plants, butterworts
Venus fly traps #1 food is beetles, not flies
It is a Class H felony to poach Venus fly traps.
Blooming Venus fly traps have tall white flowers, typically in the last week of May through the first
couple of weeks in June Venus fly traps have no real predators, but occasionally you can observe some moth damage.
Barrier islands:
They are called barrier islands because they protect inlands from ocean waves.
NC is #2 in the country, second only to Texas, for barrier islands (18+)
Barrier island development (human) alters the natural process of nature.
Bald Head Island provides habitats for migratory birds and other animals, e.g. loggerhead turtles.
Rock outcropping:
At the south end of Kure Beach there are coquina (shell) outcroppings where you can see lots of
marine life.
End documentary followed by Q &A
All chapters met separately following the meeting.
Submitted by: Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian - November 1, 2024 Joint Meeting
Speaker: Randy Jones, Member of Dosher Board of Trustees and the Board of the Dosher Foundation
Connie Tatman introduced Randy Jones
Randy Jones, a Southport native, is the great-great grandson of Dr. Julius Arthur Dosher (“Dosher”). The Dosher family has over 100 years of history in Southport. Dosher was born in 1818 and died in 1878 from pulmonary tuberculosis.
Dosher’s father, Julius Dosher, was a river pilot and blockade runner, so the family was fairly well-to-do. Dosher left Southport for higher education in Baltimore, and then returned to Southport to begin his lifelong mission of public service and public health. He married Grace Dent of Maryland in 1903, and they had one daughter, Little Grace, in 1905.
In 1917, Dosher went to France (as a surgeon) with the World War I American Expeditionary
Force. In 1920 Dosher was in charge of the quarantine station located just off the coast of Southport.
The quarantine station was established due to outbreaks of yellow fever. While working at the quarantine station, Dosher maintained an office in Southport to service locals. He also traveled around Brunswick Country making house calls.
In 1928 Duke University granted a $15,000 endowment to Southport for the building of a hospital. The remaining $15,000 required for the build came from tax referendums. In June 1930 Brunswick County Hospital opened its doors. As a memorial to its founder, the hospital was renamed the J. Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital in 1939.
Randy Jones introduced Dosher Hospital’s CEO, Linda Stanley.
Ms. Stanley is the first female CEO of Dosher Hospital. She has been affiliated with Dosher for
39 years.
Dosher’s Mission: “Quality healthcare for every patient who walks through the door.”
The ER sees about 13,000 patients each year.
The current number of beds (25) is sufficient for current demand, considering hospital stays are
much shorter and many surgeries are taking place in a non-hospital setting.
Dosher Hospital has “swing beds” available, which Ms. Stanley defined as beds that are
available for people to transfer to from another hospital and receive nursing care and physical
therapy on site at Dosher.
Dosher Hospital is financially stable. Tax dollars support the hospital and its growth. A
$16 million upgrade is taking place to provide a larger ER and more staff. Due to the tax support
from Southport, Dosher has very modern equipment.
Every quarter, Dosher offers a tour of its facilities so people can see how their tax dollars are spent.
Audience question: Why does only the Players section of St. James Plantation pay the tax to
support Dosher?
Answer: Because the Players section of SJP is included in very old maps which were drawn
before SJP was built. Ms. Stanley would “love it” if all SJP residents were contributing!
Historian research note:
“In 1976, voters in Smithville Township, which is made up of Oak Island, Caswell Beach, Southport [including the eastern portion of St. James known as the Players section] and Bald Head Island, approved a 4-cent tax per $100 property value to support Dosher Hospital for 25 years and to fund capital needs to keep
the hospital open after the county built its own hospital near Supply.”
All chapters met separately following the meeting.
Submitted by Mary Kremkau, Jackie’s Historian - November 1, 2024 Historian Notes
Speaker Randy Jones:
Randy Jones, great grandson of Julius Arthur Dosher, presented the 3 chapter Vintage Ladies with the history of the Dosher family as well as the beginning of Dosher Hospital. Dosher Hospital was first named Brunswick Hospital
and the only hospital in Brunswick County until it was renamed Dosher Hospital in 1929/30. It is a community hospital supported from local taxes.
Lynda Stanley, Dosher’s current CEO President, had been a part of Dosher Hospital and its functions for 39 years before she was named their President. She also addressed our Vintage Ladies and emphasized the hospital’s importance to our community and its reliance on community taxes and dollars to finance its growth. The Hospital’s 60 million dollar growth project Includes improving hospital quality by 1)expanding additional medical sites on Oak Island, and on Long Beach Rd facilities, 3) building a new emergency room, and 4)recruiting new medical practitioners to the Hospital. The Hospital also offers tours of its facilities to show community residents the many inpatient and outpatient services provided by the Hospital. Dosher has 25 beds in addition to the outpatient services. The Jackies October meet and greet meeting at the Southport Presbyterian Church was lots of fun. We met new members as we designed and made our own jewelry from hand-made ceramic beads made by women from Kenya. Proceeds then support The Amani Children’s Foundation in Kenya.
Submitted by Mary Kremkau, Jackie’s Historian
"Amani Bead Presentation and Meet and Greet"
The Jackies October meet and greet meeting at the Southport Presbyterian Church was lots of fun. We met new members as we designed and made our own jewelry from hand-made ceramic beads made by women from Kenya. Proceeds then support The Amani Children’s Foundation in Kenya.
Submitted by Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian
"Cape Fear Museum Private Tour"
10 a.m., 814 Market Street, Wilmington
Attendance by Dolleys’ members: 15
SUMMARY:
Speaker: Amy Thornton, Museum Manager
Wilmington was one of the nine ports of the Civil War, and it was the last to fall. The presence of the
railroad was important because shipping merchandise could be unloaded and shipped by rail to the rest of
the country. The draw to Wilmington was Longleaf Pines, which was the source of tar and pitch for the naval stores.
Ft. Fisher was the largest land/sea battle of the war. In January 1865 Wilmington fell. Three months later
the war was over. At the end of 1865 Wilmington had a black majority (>50%), and there was a lot of opportunity for black residents. Wilmington had the first known daily black newsletter, The Daily Record. In the 1890s there were white supremacist demonstrations. The 1898 massacre preceded the only coup of an elected government in NC. The Jim Crow laws initiated 60 years of legal discrimination. It took 70 years to have the next black elected officials. In the 20 th century, newer economies were developed: education, medicine, leisure. World Wars I and II brought increased prosperity to the port city. Amy reminded us that the water is always a draw, and Wilmington is no exception.
Tour ended at 11:15
Most of the ladies went to lunch at Indochine at 12 p.m.
Note: The state has announced that the new visitor center at the Fort Fisher State Historic Site will open to
the public by the end of October.
Cape Fear Docent, Amy Thornton recommends the book Wilmington’s Lie.
Submitted by Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian
The meeting was opened by Executive Chair Julie Wilkinson. Julie reported the yearbook will be available at the October meeting.
Pat Dashiell, Membership Chair, reported there are currently 49 Abbies, 48 Dolleys and 48 Jackies.
Brenda Wityk, Communications Chair, read a poem she authored entitled “Circle of Friendship.”
SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION:
Speaker: Jean Heller, Author
Program Title: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Ms. Heller was an investigative reporter for numerous newspapers, an author, and an eight-time Pulitzer Prize
nominee. As an investigative reporter in 1972, Ms. Heller was given some letters referencing a study which
came to be known as Tuskegee Syphilis Study. The study started in 1932 and continued for four decades. The United States Public Health Service (“PHS”) started studying the largest group of black men with syphilis. The object was to let these men die and to subsequently observe the “differences” in how syphilis affects black men versus white men. Approximately 125 black men died during the study, and it is unknown how many relatives of these men died as well. The men were promised incentives to join the study, such as free health care (which they did not receive) and free burials. They were paraded
around the town in fancy cars, and received “certificates of appreciation.” They were regularly given spinal taps with no anesthesia. These men did not know their syphilis was going untreated and they could/would eventually die.
It is through Ms. Heller’s investigative work that this study came to light, and that any living men or relatives received compensation. The fact that patients must sign an “informed consent” before procedures also stemmed from her work.
There were no repercussions for the doctors who let the men die. There were many questions from the audience, most specifically about “How can this have gone on so long? How weren’t citizens aware of this?” Ms. Heller replied that nobody was making attempts to hide the study; it was that people didn’t really care what was happening to these black men.